I’m sleep deprived tonight after just 3 hours of sleep over the last 24. After helping my daughter move to her new place in Portland last night I crashed for a few hours before heading up to Lake Trillium near Mt. Hood in Oregon. I’ve been salivating for some time now at other photographer’s shots from this magical place. And it clearly did not disappoint. Here is one of my favorite quotes that speaks to the need to listen to our soul from Parker Palmer.
“How we are to listen to our lives is a question worth exploring. In our culture, we tend to gather information in ways that do not work very well when the source is the human soul: the soul is not responsive to subpoenas or cross-examinations. At best it will stand in the dock only long enough to plead the Fifth Amendment. At worst it will jump bail and never be heard from again. The soul speaks its truth only under quiet, inviting, and trustworthy conditions. The soul is like a wild animal – tough, resilient, savvy, self-sufficient, and yet exceedingly shy. If we want to see a wild animal, the last thing we should do is to go crashing through the woods, shouting for the creature to come out. But if we are willing to walk quietly into the woods and sit silently for an hour or two at the base of a tree, the creature we are waiting for may well emerge, and out of the corner of an eye we will catch a glimpse of the precious wildness we seek.”
Let your Life Speak, p. 9